Large Public Sector Organization Research Articles

Resolving the adaptive performance problems in the public sector using purposeful leadership: an empirical investigation in Ghana

PurposePerformance problems in the public sector (PS) necessitate adaptation due to the sector’s uniqueness. Purposeful leadership (PL) may resolve PS adaptive performance (AP) problems. However, there is a paucity of research on the influence of PL on AP. Using data from three large PS organisations in Ghana, this research explores the relationship between PL and AP through job satisfaction (JS) and organisational identification (OI). It also explores the moderating effect of organisational integrity (IN) on the PL–JS and PL–OI relationships.Design/methodology/approachThis paper created and tested a research model using the responses of 875 public servants in Smart PLS 4. Contract fulfilment and perceived organisational support functioned as control factors influencing JS (an intervener). Perceived procedural justice and psychological need satisfaction serve as control factors for OI (another intervener). Age, sex, tenure, education and job position were used as control variables in AP. To assess the role of moderation, we utilised the product indicator approach, and to estimate the role of mediation, we used variance accounted for (VAF). A significance level of 5% was established.FindingsAs anticipated, this study found that PL and AP had a significantly positive connection (t = 2.229, p = 0.000, β = 0.138). Both JS (VAF = 27.37%) and OI (VAF = 39.21%) partially mediated this connection. IN positively moderated the PL–JS (t = 4.249, p = 0.000, β = 0.165) and PL–OI (t = 3.704, p = 0.002, β = 0.099) connections.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper provides a theoretical and empirical understanding of the PL–AP relationship, how this relationship is facilitated and how the PL–JS and PL–OI relationships are strengthened. It provides a roadmap for upcoming scholars to test the hypotheses in diverse PS contexts globally to broaden the field of leadership. It will be insightful to show how JS and OI jointly mediate this relationship and the potential mediating role of job embeddedness in further studies.Practical implicationsHuman resource (HR) practices in PS organisations, such as selecting, leadership enhancement initiatives, promotions, training and performance evaluations, must be guided by a “values-driven strategy” if leadership is to find, cultivate and keep employees capable of devising innovative strategies to manage unforeseen circumstances at work. The leaders are required to demonstrate the values of their organisations in order to set up a role model.Social implicationsThis study highlights the obstacles that purposeful leaders have the potential to mitigate, as well as the prospects that they might offer. It shows the essence for PS organisations to uphold and maintain high integrity standards as their hallmark.Originality/valueThis paper is the first to create and test a research model that shows the relationship between PL and AP. It also shows the different mechanisms (JS and OI) that make this effect possible, as well as the good work environment (i.e. IN) that allows the PL–JS and PL–OI relationships to grow.

Exploring moral heuristics in managerial decision-making. The dialectic of duty and consequence

This paper explores the use of moral heuristics within a large public sector organisation in the UK. Managers within the case study organisation were interviewed and directly observed over a four-year period, using a grounded theory methodology, to examine the ways in which they made decisions. Whereas the extant literature primarily focuses on hypothetical situations, this paper delves into the application of the heuristic in real-world situations. The results reveal widespread use of moral heuristics within the organization, accompanied by a clear dichotomy between ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ business units. Moral heuristics find extensive application in the former but encounter opposition in the latter. Consequently, the paper argues that managers in ‘soft’ work environments are more inclined to employ moral heuristics compared to their counterparts in other parts of the workplace. This study contributes to knowledge in three ways: proposing a new conceptualization of the moral heuristic, identifying instances of its use, and illustrating how it operates in real-world situations. The significance of this paper lies in its demonstration of how the heuristic is practically employed to make crucial, potentially life-changing decisions.

Integrated Reporting Disclosures: Evidence from Local Councils in Malaysia

Purpose: The objective is to determine the degree of Integrated Reporting (IR) disclosure in annual reports of selected city councils based on seven IR Framework Guiding Principles, namely (1) Strategic focus and future orientation, (2) Connectivity of information, (3) Stakeholder relationships, (4) Materiality, (5) Conciseness, (6) Reliability and completeness and (7) Consistency and comparability. Design/Methodology/Approach: This study performs content analysis on recent online annual reports of ten city councils against the IR Guiding Principles. Findings: Overall, the results indicate that IR is still at infancy and receives low acceptance by city councils. The results demonstrate that strategic aims and objectives were reported without indicating the time frame of the objectives. It was found that the annual report focuses more on the achievements of the department. All the city councils that were under study disclosed engagement activities with the community; used a combination of narrative statements, figures, pictures, and graphs; and disclosed positive information. The executive summary and Mayor’s message were provided at the beginning of the annual report to give an overview of the organization’s performance. Comparative data was used to benchmark performance across several years, but comparative data against other local authorities was limited. Research Limitation: The limitations include the small sample size, thus the findings from this study should not be generalized. However, it justified the objective to examine the individual disclosure of IR guiding principles by large public sector organizations. Second, the content analysis was performed on the most recent annual reports of selected city councils which may not reflect the overall practice on consistency and comparability. Third, this study focused on seven guiding principles of IR, which is only part of the comprehensive IR framework. Practical Implication: The findings from this study could be used as an input for regulators and other public sector entities to facilitate IR implementation in public sector organizations. Originality/Value: The paper contributes to the existing literature on the current stage of IR implementation in public sector. The findings obtained show that IR, which was initially observed as a private sector initiative, has implications in public sector organizations. Keywords: Integrated reporting, annual report, guiding principles, local council.

Factors associated with general self-efficacy of women leaders in India

PurposeThe purpose of the study was to examine the impact of both work and non-work domain contextual factors (family support, workplace social support, mentoring support, networking and visible assignment) on the general self-efficacy (GSE) of women leaders in India. Also, we tried to explore whether GSE is connected to women leaders' career aspirations.Design/methodology/approachThis is a survey-based study where data was collected and analysed from 145 women leaders working in a large public sector organisation in India.FindingsResults suggest that except for workplace social support, all other factors have a significant positive impact on the GSE of women leaders. GSE is also significantly associated with women leaders' career aspirations.Originality/valueUniqueness of the article is that we have empirically tested the enablers and deterrents of women leadership in the GSE context, taking note of both work and non-work domains of women leaders. The implications of the results for women's leadership development have been detailed.

Gender Differences in Parental Leave Before and after the Introduction of a Paid Parental Leave Policy: A Sequence Analysis of Administrative Time-Keeping Records

Paid leave confers health benefits to new parents and their children, but the absence of a national paid family leave policy in the United States has left workers to navigate a patchwork of paid and unpaid parental leave benefits accessed through their employers. As public and private paid leave policies expand across the US, it is imperative to determine how these benefits impact leave taking behaviors among new parents. We use sequence and cluster analyses of administrative time-keeping records to detail parental leave-taking during the first 180 days after adding a child among employees of a large public-sector organization with a new paid parental leave policy. Results show that the additional paid leave benefits replaced some of the unpaid leave women were taking and also lengthened their total leave duration. For men, who were only taking paid leave, the additional benefits allowed them to save their sick leave but left total leave duration unaffected. This study highlights the complex ways paid leave policies impact leave-taking among new parents. As more state and municipal governments consider paid family leave policies, understanding the interplay between these policies and existing organizational structures is critical to maximize the benefits across the workplace and limit unintended consequences.

Impact of Trainer-Trainee Interaction on Trainee Learning in a Work-Related Training Context

In order to sustain a competitive advantage, organizations invest their time, effort, and resources to develop their workforce through training. It is argued that training leads to the learning of the workforce and thus, contributes to the human capital of the organization. The literature on learning during training has focused mostly on either the trainees’ characteristics or the trainer’s characteristics. For example, prior research demonstrated that trainees’ ability and motivation are crucial for the effectiveness of training. On the other hand, trainers’ ability was found to facilitate trainees’ learning. Though studies have noted that the characteristics of both the trainee and the trainer are important predictors of trainees’ learning, studies linking the characteristics of both the trainer and the trainee on trainees’ learning are relatively scarce. This is important as training is a dyadic process. The present study is based on the ‘Ability Motivation Opportunity’ framework, the ‘Attribution Model of Training’ which highlighted the importance of ability, and motivation in ensuring training effectiveness. In the present study, we examined the influence of ability, and motivation of both the trainer and the trainee on trainees’ learning in a training program. The study was conducted among the employees of a large public sector organization that is spread across the country and is in the process of transformation from an age-old traditional organization to a technologically advanced organization. For the success of this digital transformation, training of its employees on technological skills assumes a very crucial role. 1458 trainees (village branch heads) and 94 trainers participated in our study. We captured respondents’ ability, and motivation as our main study variables, and personality traits, beliefs, degree of choice, degree of familiarity, peer-interaction, and demographics as control variables. The findings of the study supported our hypotheses. Implications of the study were discussed.

The Influence of The Quality of Financial Reports on The Performance of Public Sector Organizations

The purpose of this study was to examine the quality of financial reports based on gender effect on the performance of public sector organizations (non-government) and to test accountability on the performance of public sector organizations (non-government), as well as to examine the moderation of the variables of public accountability. The data used in this study is primary data. The data source is a Public Sector Organization registered with the Ministry of Law and Human Rights of the Republic of Indonesia (https://ahu.go.id/). The selection of the Banten region in this research location is because Banten has both medium and large public sector organizations. Most are dominated by public sector organizations whose financial operations must be carried out by accountants and public managers. Statistical analysis in this study uses software Partial Least Square (PLS) version 3. The quality of financial reports prepared by women and men in public sector organizations affects the performance of public sector organizations. Accountability affects the performance of public sector organizations. Accountability can moderate the quality of financial reports on the performance of public sector organizations. The results of the research are used as material to find the best solution or possibility in solving social problems, to analyze social phenomena that occur in society.

Ripple Effects of Abusive Supervision.

Abusive supervision (AS) is relentless in damaging employees' personal and professional life. This study examines the underlying mechanism through which AS damages employees' job and life satisfaction and, most importantly, the boundary conditions that help attenuate the cascading effects of AS. Using a sample of 187 employees from a large public sector organization, this study found that job tension transmits the antagonistic effects of AS to employees' job and life satisfaction. However, these effects were low for employees who were high rather than low in the personality trait of resilience. The study contributes to the AS literature by explicating job tension as one possible underlying mechanism and resilience as a personality trait that helps diminish the deleterious effects of AS on employees' job tension and wellbeing. Theoretical contributions and practical implications are discussed.

Organizational climate and organizational politics: understanding the role of employees using parallel mediation

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to inspect the influence of organizational climate on the social desirability of political behaviour of employees. It also examines perception of politics and perceived behavioural choice as the underlying mechanisms that mediate the relationship between organizational climate and social desirability of political tactics. Finally, the paper studies the influence of desirability of politics on frequency of use of political tactics.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses data (n = 234) collected from a large public sector organization in India. The inter-relationships are tested empirically using structural equation modelling.FindingsThe findings suggest that organizational climate significantly influences the social desirability of political tactics such that positive climate leads to lower social desirability of political tactics. Also, perception of politics and perceived behavioural choice mediate the relationship between organizational climate and desirability of political tactics. Finally, the social desirability of political tactics positively and significantly influences frequency of political tactics used.Research limitations/implicationsBecause of the nature of the study, generalization must be made with caution since it has been conducted in an Indian public sector organization, and errors due to measurement method could be present. The study provides a better understanding of the relationship between organizational climate and political behaviour and clarifies the mediating role of perception of politics and behavioural choices. It also elucidates the need for organizations to accept the active role of employees in determining the nature of workplace politics.Originality/valueThe study establishes political perceptions and perceived behavioural choice as important mediators between climate and political behaviour, fostering in-depth research into the environmental aspects of public sector organizations. It also establishes employees as autonomous members of the organization who make political choices by taking into account their organizational contexts, a concept much newer to highly formalized and codified public sector organizations.

Impact of e-HRM systems on quality of competency assessment in Indian public sector organisations

As public sector organisations are migrating from traditional to web-based competency assessment methods globally, it becomes crucial to know about the perspective of employees towards the quality of competency assessment enhancement after implementation of e-HRM. This research aims to capture the same. The methodology used in the study includes case-based exploration of three large public sector organisations with onward journey transitioning from paper-based competency assessment to e-HRM systems-based competency assessment for enhanced quality. A study is conducted in a group of 506 employees in two different phases' viz. pre-web portal phase and post-web portal phase. The findings indicate that the web-based portal for e-HRM had no significant effect on the employee perceptions of overall quality of competency assessment programs (CAPs) but resulted in improved perceptions of transparency and directness in the sample organisations. The study makes an important contribution towards a shift in the assessment of system-based interventions for performance improvement of public sector employees in India. The paper has significant implications for similar transitions in competency assessments in developing or developed countries' public system management.

Investigating the mediating role of political will in the relationship between organizational characteristics and use of political tactics

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to study the influence of centralization and formalization on the frequency of political tactics (FPT) used by employees. It also examines political will as the underlying variable that mediates the relationship between the focal variables.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses data (n = 234) collected from a large public sector organization in India. The interrelationships are tested empirically using structural equation modeling.FindingsThe findings suggest that both centralization and formalization significantly influence the FPT used by employees. Also, political will partially mediate the relationship between centralization, formalization and FPT.Research limitations/implicationsThe study provides evidence of the influence of centralization and formalization as two organizational realities that lead to employee engagement in political tactics. It also elucidates the importance of political will and the need to develop social astuteness to maneuver through the maze of organizational politics. The study is conducted in a public sector organization in India and uses cross-sectional data. Therefore, generalizations must be made with caution.Originality/valueThe study establishes political will as an important mediator between centralization, formalization and political behavior, fostering in-depth research into the structural aspects of public sector organizations. It also establishes political will as an important individual disposition of employees that augments the engagement of employees in political behavior in highly centralized and formalized organizations.

Putting Sense and Mind into Your Enterprise Systems: A Qualitative Study of IS Assimilation in Large Public Organizations in India

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the information systems (IS) assimilation level of an enterprise system in the post-implementation phase, through the lens of IS governance mechanisms and IS support structures, impacted by the socio-cognitive processes. The research follows a qualitative approach and builds on semi-structured interviews with enterprise system stakeholders in large public sector organizations in India. The study posits that high levels of IS governance mechanisms and high levels of IS support structures lead to a high level of IS assimilation only in the presence of higher level socio-cognitive processes. A not-so-higher level of socio-cognitive fabric results in low or moderate IS assimilation levels in spite of high levels of IS governance and/or IS support structures. Despite close to a couple of decades of IS research on enterprise systems, IS assimilation is still an enigma for practitioners and academicians. The generalizability of the results of this study may be applicable to any public organization in a developing country, like India, which are using enterprise system solutions but are yet to reap the potential benefits. The results present a way forward for practitioners to ensure optimal resources and focus for the triad- IS governance, IS support structures and socio-cognitive processes.

Spillover effects of abusive supervision

Abusive supervision (AS) is relentless in damaging employees’ personal and professional life. This study examines the underlying mechanism through which AS damages employee’s job and life satisfaction and most importantly the boundary conditions that help attenuate the cascading effects of AS on employee’s wellbeing. Using a sample of 187 employees from a large public sector organization, this study found that job tension transmit the antagonistic effects of AS on employees’ job and life satisfaction. However, these effects were low for employees who were high rather than low on their personality trait (resilience). The study contributes to the AS literature by explicating job tension as one possible underlying mechanism and resilience as a personality trait that helps diminish the deleterious effects of AS on employees’ job tension and wellbeing. Theoretical contributions and practical implications are discussed.

Coaching across Organizational Levels in a Pandemic: Advancing Positive Change in the Public Sector

Managers and leaders in public organizations have increasingly been realizing the value of individual coaching for improving employee effectiveness, satisfaction, teaming, and a host of other valued outcomes. Simultaneously, coaching has been moving beyond the individual into coaching larger systems (teams, organizations, etc.). The four panelists engaged in diverse interventions concurrently within the same large (~35,000) public sector organization that has a continuous nationwide, highly technical and safety-related mission. They plan to share insights not only from each intervention independently but also from their synergies. Each of the panelists will explore how selected pre-pandemic techniques have evolved into a new repertoire of coaching processes, that we believe will result in a hybrid of best practices once the organization is post-pandemic. The interventions touch on: 1) developing human potential in the context of a technical organization shifting to online work post-COVID; 2) approaches to career and personal development; 3) using team coaching to create organizational alignment; and 4) using peer coaching to support collaboration, problem solving and systems thinking.

Phenomenon of interaction between organizational climate and human resource assessment in large public sector organisations

While intensively researching organizational climate and human resource assessment, the question naturally arises, in case these both phenomena operate in the same organization, what is a relationship between them? This question is answered by a survey in which human resource assessment was represented by fifty questions combined into three latent variables: assessment methodology, assessment organization, decisions and implementation, and organizational climate was represented by thirty-nine questions combined into a common latent variable of organizational climate. By comparing latent variables of human resource assessment and organizational climate the cluster model of the interaction between human resource assessment and organizational climate was formed. A total of four types have been identified, three of which are more favourable to the implementation stage of human resource assessment than organisational climate, and one where the organisational climate is indifferent in the context of human resource assessment. This research collected information on phenomenon of human resource assessment impact on organizational climate in large organizations, as it is more pronounced there. Also, human resource assessment process is more full and more formalized in these organizations, and organizational climate is the result of interaction between individuals in the group and not the impact of a single individual.

How transformational leadership influences innovative behavior: the mediating role of psychological empowerment and proactivity of employees

This research aims to examine the impact of transformational leadership on innovative behavior of employees within the organization. It draws on conservation of resources theory and examines when and how transformational leadership style relates to innovative behavior of employees. The study proposes a sequential mediation effect of psychological empowerment and proactivity of employees that predicts innovative behavior among employees. The data of 230 employees is collected from large public sector organizations, from employees and their managers by utilizing three-wave time lagged study design. The results of the study were obtained using PROCESS macro by Hayes via 2000 resample bias corrected (BC) bootstrap method. The findings not only validate the applicability of psychological empowerment and proactivity for innovative behavior but also found these as mediators between transformational leadership and innovative behavior relationship. Theoretical and practical implications are also discussed in light of the findings.

E‐government through the lens of trading zones: A case of e‐government implementation in Dubai

AbstractThe paper explores the implementation of public sector information systems in a relatively atypical context, which is the rapidly developing city of Dubai. The paper specifically addresses the interactions between public and private sector teams in a large public sector organization in Dubai as they collaborate to complete an e‐government project within a short timeframe. The paper employs a framework that consists of institutional logics and concepts from the theory of trading zones to examine this exchange of ideas and artifacts between the two teams. Trading zones are conceptualized as embedded within wider institutional arrangements. The paper explores the trading activities between the teams as institutional enactments that come to shape e‐government outcomes in terms of roles and norms of the public sector staff. This reveals specific insights into how e‐government projects are locally enacted and how these shape the roles of public sector staff as contributors to city development. Overall, the paper argues that these engagements between public sector staff and contracted private sector consultants and vendors lead to the exchange of new knowledge, ideas, and artifacts that reproduce and reframe the sociocultural roles of public sector staff to fit with the new organizational context.

Obstacles to returning to work with chronic pain: in-depth interviews with people who are off work due to chronic pain and employers

BackgroundThe global burden of chronic pain is growing with implications for both an ageing workforce and employers. Many obstacles are faced by people with chronic pain in finding employment and returning to work after a period of absence. Few studies have explored obstacles to return-to-work (RTW) from workers’ and employers’ perspectives. Here we explore views of both people in pain and employers about challenges to returning to work of people who are off work with chronic pain.MethodsWe did individual semi-structured interviews with people who were off work (unemployed or off sick) with chronic pain recruited from National Health Service (NHS) pain services and employment services, and employers from small, medium, and large public or private sector organisations. We analysed data using the Framework method.ResultsWe interviewed 15 people off work with chronic pain and 10 employers. Obstacles to RTW for people with chronic pain spanned psychological, pain related, financial and economic, educational, and work-related domains. Employers were concerned about potential attitudinal obstacles, absence, ability of people with chronic pain to fulfil the job requirements, and the implications for workplace relationships. Views on disclosure of the pain condition were conflicting with more than half employers wanting early full disclosure and two-thirds of people with chronic pain declaring they would not disclose for fear of not getting a job or losing a job. Both employers and people with chronic pain thought that lack of confidence was an important obstacle. Changes to the job or work conditions (e.g. making reasonable adjustments, phased return, working from home or redeployment) were seen by both groups as facilitators. People with chronic pain wanted help in preparing to RTW, education for managers about pain and supportive working relationships.ConclusionsPeople with chronic pain and employers may think differently in terms of perceptions of obstacles to RTW. Views appeared disparate in relation to disclosure of pain and when this needs to occur. They appeared to have more in common regarding opinions about how to facilitate successful RTW. Increased understanding of both perspectives may be used to inform the development of improved RTW interventions.

A design-led approach to transforming wicked problems into design situations and opportunities

This article argues that using a design-led approach is highly beneficial when tackling complex problems to transform ambiguity into actionable design briefs and solution opportunities. This is evidenced by way of an ongoing project with a large public-sector organization. Northumbria University’s School of Design academic experts use design-led approaches to innovation that promotes ‘creative fusion’ between diverse stakeholders in order to tackle ‘wicked problems’. The authors continue this work as part of an Arts and Humanities Research Council/ European Regional Development Fund-funded programme entitled Creative Fuse North East (CFNE), involving five regional universities, of which the project discussed here is a part. The main objectives of CFNE are to develop and deploy approaches to innovation that apply skills from creative graduates to benefit the wider creative economy, address barriers to innovation and promote growth and sustainability within and without the Creative, Digital and IT sector (CDIT). The authors propose that to do this it is vital to convert stakeholders into co-creation activists empowered with the creative confidence and tools required to speculate about uncertain futures.

Making use of work–family balance entitlements: how to support fathers with combining employment and caregiving

ABSTRACTMuch workplace support to parents offered by employers is gender neutral in design, but fathers’ usage rates are generally very low and far below that of mothers. This paper reflects on men’s dual roles as fathers and employees in relation to formal and informal work policies and practices, with the aim of answering the question: How could fathers feel supported by their work environment to take a more active caregiving role in the lives of their children? We take a capabilities approach to explore models of change, which supports the assumption that many fathers are somehow not fully enabled by their organisations to use policies. Focus groups were conducted within a large public sector organisation in the UK to capture the individual and interactional experiences of fathers. Findings suggest that workplace culture, line manager relationships, the ‘modelling’ behaviour of peers and gendered leave practices all impact on how fathers feel about using work-family balance policies, and whether they are likely to use them. The limits of workplace support for fathers can be challenged via the consideration of some key institutional conversion factors which if addressed may better enable fathers to exercise greater agency with regard to work-family balance entitlements.